Good Enough
by loveadubdub
Summary: <html><head></head>"Noah, you were right. My nose is a birthright passed down from generations and generations of our people. We need to embrace our religion. It's who we are." "Why can't we embrace it by eating something fried in oil and watching an Adam Sandler movie?"</html>


**GOOD ENOUGH**

…

He calls her hot in the choir room, and she doesn't miss it. He doesn't come out and say it directly to her, but she notices.

Of course, he sort of calls her hot a lot. Or at least more than anyone else does. Really, she's not sure _anyone's _ever called her hot. Finn used to call her beautiful. Jesse did, too. But Noah's the only one who says hot.

And then Finn calls her beautiful again, and it makes something in her stomach tighten.

She's almost positive that "beautiful" is supposed to be preferable to hot, but she likes them both. In different ways.

…

She's never hated her nose.

When she was younger, it seemed much bigger, but she was too young to care back then. Now she's kind of grown into it more, so it's less protrusive. But she notices it now more. That's probably because she unconsciously compares herself to every other girl in the school. She's pretty sure that's normal. Girls do that, right? They look at each other and secretly compare themselves? She's shorter and more flat chested and has a bigger nose than a lot of girls her age. She knows that.

But she's never really hated any of it.

It should be easy to hate all of it. She should look at Quinn or Santana or any of the random Cheerios who roam the school, and she should hate the fact that all the boys watch them instead of her. But she doesn't. Because those girls might be beautiful, but they're not going to have her future.

Quinn was right- real estate agent, same zip code, blue collar husband, 2.5 kids. 

_That's _what all those perfect girls have to look forward to. Rachel has New York City, a lifetime on the stage, and more sophisticated people to look forward to.

She's probably winning.

…

The surgeon tells her that parents that she's the perfect candidate for rhinoplasty.

She sits in his office and listens as he explains the procedure to her fathers and fills them in on the risks and benefits. He tells them that with her bone structure, the procedure should be relatively simple and gives them the same speech he gave her about it opening up her nasal passages and possibly improving her voice.

Her parents listen, and she can tell before they even leave the office that it's going to cause an argument.

She spends most of the ride home being ignored in the backseat. She thinks it's ironic that they aren't more interested in her opinion (it being her nose and all), but they barely acknowledge her. Instead, her parents fight with each other- one okay with the surgery and one not so okay.

"Lots of girls her age have it done. Both of my sisters had their noses done when they were teenagers."

"She is beautiful just the way she is."

"Of _course _she's beautiful. But if she wants to have her nose changed, I don't really see why it's a big deal."

They're still arguing about it when she goes upstairs to lie down. The pain medication is making her extra tired, and she's more than a little overwhelmed with the decision.

_Her _decision. Even though everyone else wants to make it for her.

…

Noah is ridiculous.

She can't believe he just walks into the girls' bathroom like it's nothing. Or really, she _can _believe it, but it's ridiculous. _He's _ridiculous.

"One hot Jew to another."

She really thinks he might be crazy sometimes. If he put half as much effort into _anything _as much as he does his Judaic pride, he could be the most successful seventeen year old in the world. It's really kind of funny because it's not exactly as if he puts much effort into _practicing _their religion. But he definitely enjoys talking about it.

Maybe it makes him feel unique. After all, they're two of maybe five Jewish kids in the entire school, so maybe he thinks it's his mission in life to represent Judaism to the mainstream public.

Of course, he doesn't have to walk around with a living, breathing (literally) trademark attached to his face that screams JEW to the entire world. He can just talk about it and show his pride and then forget about it.

She wants to tell him this, but then he asks for an hour of her time, and instead, she just says yes.

…

Kurt comes back to school and back to glee, and it's awesome.

She doesn't know what to make of the whole Santana/Karofsky thing, but as long as Kurt feels safe, she's all for it.

She doesn't get to talk to him much at school that day, but he and Finn both show up at her house that night. Finn brings her a vegan cupcake and kind of looks like he might cry every time he glances at her. She knows he feels terrible about breaking her nose, but it's not like she blames him for it or anything. It was just an accident. Still, she won't lie and say that she doesn't sort of _like _the way he's been paying more attention to her since the accident.

They look at the surgical composites together, Kurt seeing them for the first time. He kind of makes a face but doesn't say much. Finn still seems really bothered by the whole thing.

"It just doesn't _look _like you."

She starts to tell him that's the whole point, but his phone beeps, and then he's checking it and sort of frowning.

"I gotta go... Quinn says we need to study."

Rachel just nods and doesn't say anything. They aren't going to study. Quinn's probably crying, and she just doesn't want to admit it. Rachel actually feels a little sorry for her. Posters of her significantly less attractive middle school self were put up all over the school- she's rightfully upset, and she needs someone.

Rachel just wishes that someone wasn't Finn.

…

Her parents have always warned her not to get into cars with people she doesn't trust, so she has no idea why she's climbing into Noah Puckerman's truck at 11 AM on a Saturday morning. Really, she's mostly just surprised that he's even _awake _at 11 AM on a Saturday.

She asks him where they're going for practically the entire ride, and he doesn't answer. At one point, he threatens to drive her to a different city and drop her off if she doesn't shut up. She tells him that if he even _thinks _about doing that, her parents will have him arrested for kidnapping.

He just kind rolls his eyes. "They would."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Then he just smirks and shakes his head, keeping his eyes on the road. "Your crazy had to come from _somewhere..."_

She refuses to speak to him the rest of the way. When they get to the mall, though, her curiosity gets the best of her, and she pesters him all the way through the parking garage and into the building about what they're doing. She's a little bit afraid that she'll be leaving in a police car because she's not really sure that Noah and malls mix if shoplifting isn't involved. But he just tells her that he's trying to talk some sense into her.

The "Barbravention" is really sweet. Kurt's there, Finn's there... Pretty much _everyone _is there- even Santana. It's nice. She kind of loves them for doing this for her- for making fools of themselves in front of a bunch of strangers. They're all having fun, she can tell.

It's pretty much both perfect and hilarious.

…

She doesn't get the nose job.

She tells her dads, and they cancel her appointment. They both tell her she's beautiful, and even though she knows they _have _to say that, it still feels really nice.

When she tells her friends, they all seem really happy for her. It's crazy how much she loves them now, and she's almost sure that they love her back. It's nice. She's never really had friends before, but she's pretty positive that these are the best kind.

…

She grabs Noah after glee- after everyone's packed up and heading out to their cars.

It's not hard to catch him. He's always kind of slow at getting his things together, probably because it delays the inevitable afternoon babysitting he always seems to be doing. He looks up and seems kind of surprised to see her waiting.

"You spying on me?"

"Yes. You're that interesting."

He smiles at her, and she rolls her eyes.

"I just wanted to say thanks," she finishes. "You know, for Saturday. That was extremely sweet."

"I don't really do sweet."

Now it's her turn to smile. "My apologies then. But I don't think even _you _can twist a _Barbravention _into being badass."

"You sound dumb when you say badass."

"Your shirt's dumb," she shoots back, and he glances down and then back up to smirk at her.

"My shirt's badass." She raises her eyebrows because _really? _Maybe the arrow should point the other direction.

"You do know you weren't _born _a teenage slut, right?"

He seems _really _amused that she just said that, but he still tries to cover it up, of course. "What exactly are you trying to say?"

"The fact that you're promiscuous is a secret to no one, Noah." He just raises his eyebrows. "If that has recently changed, then I commend you. But really, I came to ask you something."

"I knew you would eventually."

She stares at him, and he laughs at how clearly unamused she is.

"You're disgusting," she tells him shortly. "I _wanted _to see if you would come to temple with me on Friday."

Now it's _his _turn to stare. "But we already did all the Passover shit."

He seems legitimately confused, and she actually takes a step away in case lightning strikes him down.

"I'm well aware that Passover is over."

"Then why do we need to go to temple?"

She wants to laugh, but it's really not funny. "Because that's what we're _supposed _to do, Noah. I haven't really be in awhile, and neither have you."

"Yeah... Because I only go when my mom _makes _me."

"But why is that?" She blinks at him, and she can tell he thinks she's crazy. "Noah, you were right. My nose is a birthright passed down from generations and generations of our people. We need to _embrace _our religion. It's who we _are_."

He's not buying it, and she can tell. "Why can't we embrace it by eating something fried in oil and watching an Adam Sandler movie? That sounds like a better Friday night if you ask me."

"Noah." She just looks at him. She doesn't need to say anything else, and she knows it.

"Oh, my god, _fine." _He kind of glares at her. "Stop bugging me."

…

It's the first time they've ever gone to temple _together._

Up until last year, if they both happened to show up on the same night, they went out of their way to avoid each other. She didn't like him for obvious reasons, and he as never brave enough to treat her the way he treated her at school when his mom was within a few feet. Recently, though, they've started to acknowledge each other more and even sat together a few times. But neither of them are regular attendees, and the times when they've both shown up on the same night have been few and far between.

So it's really no surprise that people start looking at them the second they show up together.

There aren't that many people their age, and obviously all the old women watch the younger generations and try to match them up. She's sure that there are plenty of them just thrilled at the prospect of two of their own actually _liking _each other. Not that she _likes _him, of course. Not like that anyway. But still.

They sit together toward the back, and she doesn't miss the way his mom keeps turning around slyly to sneak glances at them. She's not dumb. She knows she's a parent's dream come true. Just thinking like that makes the whole thing seem much weirder than it should, though, because it's not like she's _dating _Noah or anything close. He has a girlfriend, and, if anything, his mom should be concerned about _that _instead of planning a wedding in her mind for someone her son is _not _dating.

Somehow, Rachel thinks that detail is less than important in his mother's mind.

…

They go to Starbucks immediately after temple because Noah acts like he's being tortured.

She pays for both of their drinks, and she's only a little surprised that he lets her. Then they sit down together at a window table. It's pretty crowded, which is surprising because Rachel wouldn't peg Starbucks as many people's ideal Friday night locale.

"Thanks," she says, popping the lid off her cup and blowing on her tea. "For going with me."

"I told you fried food would be better."

She just smiles. "But don't you feel better now? More in touch with yourself? With our _people?"_

Noah doesn't bother cooling his own drink. He just turns it up and starts drinking. "That was boring as shit and you know it."

"It's _important, _Noah. And it wasn't that bad."

"That's just 'cause you were with me. I make everything better." And he's all cocky smirk again.

"Everyone was staring at us..."

"Yeah, because we're the two hottest thing this town has to offer as far as Jews go, and they're all just jealous of that shit."

There he goes, calling her hot again. It makes her smile and also sort of wonder if he ever uses the word _beautiful. _

"Thank you again," she says quietly, reaching up to just barely touch her nose. Most of the swelling's gone, but it's still kind of tender. "I'm glad I didn't do it."

"Me, too." He takes another ridiculously long gulp from his scalding hot drink. "You shouldn't change anything. Just be you." And then he shrugs like it's no big deal. "You're good enough."

It sounds oddly nice coming from him. She wonders if he really _is _changing. Maybe dating Lauren is giving him a new view on the world and killing some of his superficiality or something.

It's kind of scary.

…

The next Friday, she's sitting in biology when her phone buzzes. There's a new text, and she smiles a little bit when she sees it.

_Yo, Shalom. We on for tonight?_

She's not supposed to be texting in class, but he obviously is. Unless he's skipping class... Still, she can't help herself from typing out a reply.

_Sure. Grown Ups afterward?_

It takes less thank thirty seconds to get his response.

_And fried shit._

Okay, so maybe they're _not _the best Jews.

But she's pretty sure they're good enough.

…

...


End file.
